The FTC warns billions of users about data breaches and identity theft.
Identity theft is a common fraud perpetrated by cybercriminals.
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Every year, an estimated millions of Americans’ identities are stolen.
WHAT IS IDENTITY THIEF?
Fraudulent activity is when someone misuses your information for fraud or another crime.
Your name, your social security number or credit card numbers are all examples of types of personal data.
Scammers who have this information can also cause serious financial damage.
For example, they can collect your benefits and income, make purchases, set up websites, and buy residences, all in your name.
HOW IS IDENTITY THIEF COMPETED?
You can find a few ways for bad actors to access your personal information.
Someone may Dumpster dive, which is when they rummage through the trash to find documents that contain your personal data.
The skimming of credit/debit numbers is done by a special device that stores the information when your card is processed.
The most common method is phishing, where a scammer poses as a company or financial institution to get you to reveal your personal details.
They may even steal your mail or wallet to find personal information or bank statements.
SECURE YOURSELF
FTC offers tips for preventing identity theft.
They urge people to change their passwords and log in into an account that has been compromised. You should also try to change your user name if you can.
“If you can’t log in, contact the company. “Ask them to help you recover or terminate the account,” said the FTC on an online support. This page is a translation of the original article.
It is best to not reuse passwords.
The agency also recommends that people check their banking accounts often for any charges that they don’t recognize.
It is recommended that you lock or freeze any credit cards you may have if there are strange things happening.
It’s also important to properly discard documents that contain personal data. You can use a shredder, or bring your documents to an event held in the community by financial institutions.
Use unique and complex passwords for all your accounts.